Can't Take It In
by The Ryuu Victoire Tea Party
Summary: Reposting due to general insanity with the mistakes in the first draft. Post-manga, my take on the final separation, then reunion, then subsequent days that unfold... Possible other chapters in the making. I'm fun like that.


**My take on the manga finale. I loved it. I did. Except for a few things. But I did love it. So I wrote this, then I corrected this later and reposted it. Its much better, mostly in the end, but in the beginning too. Its more.. I dunno. In character, but who the hell knows.**

**Oh yeah, so if you haven't read the last chapter of the manga…maybe you shouldn't be reading this? Oh well. Curiousity never killed the cat. Its great aunt Marge did. HA! You're funny. Still reading this? Get on to the fic, silly!**

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It was over.

The end, finally, exhausting, quiet, as the purity of the void within the jewel enveloped them both essentially for the last time. Kagome and him had destroyed the Shikon no Tama, and Kagome's soul was safe, free. He ingrained this moment into his mind, Tessaiga in his hand, and Kagome held close with the other. They'd pulled through, these two unlikely characters born in two eras so far apart, somehow, these silly teenagers (at least in mind, in his case) had pulled through.

It was a feat to be proud of. InuYasha knew this, and was proud, certainly, proud of Kagome's strength and faith in him, proud of his friends, but proud didn't describe it. His solitary life had been consumed first with the search of the Shikon no Tama, and he'd severed his fate from it definitely.

He had no idea what was in store for him now. After that moment with Kagome inside the purified and fading jewel, he had spent the last few years watching his friends rebuild their lives, watched his cold hearted bastard of a brother raise a human child, watched the seasons turn from winter to summer three times.

He had the moment of his victory engraved into his heart, he thought of his journey everyday, replaying events in the back of his mind as he helped Miroku earn a living and build a better home for his wife and children. He'd returned, alone, to this era, never to smell Kagome's polluted, destructive world again.

He still played with his rosary and still smiled at memories of her, looking off into distances that no longer compelled him. Staring into the stars, he reminded himself of the few constellations Kagome had taught him, and would wonder if she ever missed him, if just a little bit.

He'd had her, one final time, a wordless goodbye, he remembered his clawed hands holding her to him gently, her beautiful scent reassuring in his nose, her voice, strong with a new confidence that he'd come for her, she'd commanded the Shikon No Tama to disappear. Just like that- Kagome had ended it, which had been the reason she'd appeared into the past through the Bone Eater's well in the first case…

InuYasha didn't believe in that reasoning, the one Kaede and Sango and Miroku had come up with, his first night back, celebrating their victory together. Miroku and Sango, despite their sorrow that Kagome had returned home, had eyes brimming with delight- they now had a future to live for. A real one, together, and even as Shippou cried softly into Kaede's arms, InuYasha couldn't quite bring himself to feel anything that night. He was glad- yes, he did wish Miroku and Sango all the joy in the world. And Shippou would be alright, the kit still had his surrogate family, if incomplete.

InuYasha had felt completely numb that night, and had left just after nightfall, returning to the well.

He'd seen Kagome's tears, the way she'd clung to her family in relief, her joy at being home, and he knew then that he had no right of taking this from her. He'd admitted to himself, whilst battling the haze of demons trapped within the Shikon No Tama, that he believed Kagome and him had been born for each other, that that was their purpose. But now, seeing her with everything she'd wanted, her duties to the past finished, in the arms of her loving family… InuYasha standing on the edge of the well, stepped back, ever so slightly, knowing this would be his last trip. He didn't know how he knew, but the bridge this well served as would close with this final journey.

He left just as she'd looked back at him, her eyes full of tears, the words "InuYasha saved me…" leaving her lips. InuYasha had felt an immediate clenching tighten around his heart. He hadn't said goodbye.

When he'd arrived in the past, there hadn't been time for grief. He'd hastily explained to the others what had happened about the Shikon jewel, and they were relieved and saddened at the news.

The last time he'd had her in his arms haunted his dreams frequently, and his day dreams, as well. Her warm skin underneath her clothes, her scent, her eyes, her tears, all were burned into his senses, and his heart ached for her. Sometimes, when he dozed, near the well or the God Tree, it was as if he could sense her wandering around the shrine in her own time, calling out to her cat or her brother or whoever. This was all in his head, and InuYasha knew it.

She was where she belonged. And he had to learn to live with that, somehow.

Kaede had chuckled darkly, the afternoon he'd decided to confide in her in his rude and usual way, and Kaede had chuckled the way one usually chuckles at the irony of heartbreak, "InuYasha…when did you become so wise?"

The first year, more or less, he'd returned to the well every single day, refusing to leave on Miroku's little money-_stealing _adventures if it wasn't within a day's walk of the village, refusing to sleep too far from the well (except for that one winter's night when a very pregnant Sango threatened to Hiraikotsu the living daylights out of him if he didn't come in from the storm. InuYasha had only accepted because, he said, he couldn't believe Sango had _walked _all the way to the God Tree from her home in the village! In four feet of icy snow, no less!)

He'd come back on his own, he kept reminding himself. It had been his choice no to drag Kagome back, or even to say goodbye. Kagome's duties to vanquish the Shikon no Tama were over. He had to move on, wasn't that the big, cosmic plan? What a joke.

Sometimes, he thought in the back of his mind, he knew very well why he didn't say goodbye. Because the thought of her uttering those words would have killed him, right then, right there.

He arrived at the well at nightfall, his clawed hands lying useless at his side. He took a deep breath, absorbing the quietness of the forest around him. Settling himself at the edge of the well after a moment, he allowed himself to doze off, trying to feel in vain a sort of connection with the girl who'd vanished from this realm.

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"_It's over, Kagome." InuYasha said softly as the jewel faded and the darkness around them receded. _

"_We did it." She said, watching the arrow hovering without the Shikon no Tama. She finally looked up at him. He sheathed the Tessaiga, and held her in both his arms a moment, their eyes locked. She smiled, and he mirrored it._

"_Kagome…" he said in relief, pulling her close to him. She was safe. Kagome would be alright. This whole mess with Naraku, the Shiko jewel, the whole journey, it was over._

"_I knew you'd come," she said as her arms wrapped his neck, and she hugged him tightly, he could feel her smile. "I just knew you would, InuYasha." _

_Then they both felt the familiar tug as the whiteness surrounding them became brighter, and even brighter, nearly blinding them. Then they were at the bottom of her well, in the dark well house, their feet nearly ankle deep in old dust and Kagome could hear her mother's strangled cries. _

_InuYasha jumped them both up, and she saw her grandfather and her brother and her mother, and her heart seemed to melt into the tears trailing down her face._

_She was in her mother's arms within seconds, so grateful, her brother clinging to her tattered clothing. "Kagome we were so worried!" chastised her grandfather, and she looked back at the well._

"_InuYasha saved me," She told her family, "Thank you, Inu…" and suddenly, she realized what he was doing- he'd stepped back, and was enveloped in light._

_Just like that, her fairytale was over._

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She got caught up on all of the latest pop music.

She worked like a rabid maniac on her high school tests and exams, mostly out of her duty to repay her family's understanding and support during her trials in the past.

She helped out at the shrine, even donning a familiar miko outfit and selling trinkets to easily duped, gullible tourists. She went out with friends on Friday nights after school to relax and have a bit of fun, usually at arcades or the moves, sometimes they went shopping.

She spent a lot of time with her mother, learning how to cook, even (somehow, eating instant ramen all the time became too painful for her.) Her mother was delighted to discovered she'd inherited her cooking talents, and Kagome made supper at least twice a week now, when she wasn't working.

She kept turning Hojo down all the time, she went to Souta's plays and baseball games and ran after him screaming and threatening to purify him whenever she found him in her bedroom.

She kept herself busy. It was the only thing she could do, really. Too much quiet time and her mind would wander, her careful composure would crack at its tightly controlled seams…

One afternoon, she'd been helping out putting away gymnastics equipment as her school duty with another boy from her, and suddenly noticed the archery team practicing on the other side of the track. They were all dressed in (slightly modernized) traditional gear, the large bows and arrows almost hypnotizing her.

She joined the archery team the very next day, and was the best shot the archery coach had seen in nearly a decade. Soon, she was being sent to every competition her coach could think of sending her, and was hoping to maybe send Kagome to some national competition or whatever. Kagome didn't care much.

She'd arrived from an archery tournament late tonight, eating some leftovers her mother had put in the fridge for her and petting Buyo as he mewed softly when she entered the room. She placing her archery equipment on the dining room table. It wasn't very sturdy, or heavy, and probably wouldn't last a day of rough use in the Sengoku Jidai era, but it was good to stay in practice, and the focus it demanded calmed her raging heart.

She missed him. She _missed_ him. She kept the baseball cap she always kept for him under her pillow usually, it was all she had left of him, and even then it wasn't much of a memento.

Her friends commented all the time on how she refused to date. They even thought she was a lesbian, for a little while. Then they simply got bored of trying to weasel the truth and began to repeatedly inquire about her "boyfriend" InuYasha. Kagome simply told them their story was over. She unable to tell them more, not even because of the issue of her time travelling extravaganza, but because she could not handle his name spoken in their conversations. They thought she should be over it by now, it had been three years! Loyalty was a great trait, they argued, but pigheadedness, they claimed, was probably going to drive Kagome to suffering eternal heartbreak, or worse, make her endure life as an old maid. Kagome thought about getting mad, sometimes, but restrained herself with a wry smile. They were silly modern girls. They didn't know better. She was a silly modern girl who did. She had seen death and despair in the face, and somehow learned to keep smiling.

She was a silly modern girl who could never again be a silly modern girl. Kagome knew this, her heart knew this. Her story with InuYasha had been more than going on movie dates and holding hands and terrible first kisses. It had been about trust, and learning how to rely on each other, and the bonds she had with the people from the past could not be explained with silly modern words like "boyfriend" and "best friends for EVER!!!"

Only her mother knew. She hadn't wanted her family to know how much she missed the Sengoku Jidai era. Mama had found her one night, a dark one just as the rains had started falling over Tokyo. Kagome was crumpled in a heap by the well, sobbing loudly into her palms, her heart broken shredded beyond belief. She was home. Her friends were safe. Her sadness was just so incredibly selfish.

It had been a year since she'd come home for good.

"Maybe the well will work again, Kagome, maybe it just opens for small periods of time, who knows how these things are…" her mother had tried to lie, for her daughter's sake, as she ran her fingers through her daughter's hair and tried to wipe away tears. She kneeled down on the dirt floor of the small shrine by her daughter, pushing raven clumps of hair from Kagome's eyes.

"I've tried. Every day. Sometimes twice. For a year. I'm so selfish, mama."

"Shhhh…Kagome, you are my wonderful daughter. I am so proud of you. You must not think that you are selfish for missing him." She said softly, holding her close.

"Its not fair. I didn't get an happy ending. I mean, I _did_, I won, and Sango and Houshi-sama and Shippou, and Kohaku-kun and Rin-chan, they're all safe. And InuYasha is free from the Shikon no Tama, finally."

Her mother looked at her with sad eyes, kissing her daughter's head.

"I'm so proud of you, sweetie."

"…Why do I feel like …" Kagome couldn't say it, she choked again on her words, fresh tears rushing down her face.

"Shh, sweetie. Life's just not fair sometimes. Just be glad you met him and were able to do so much good for so many people…I'm so proud of you, Kagome, no matter what, please remember this."

Kagome looked at her mother with her blue, blue eyes, and nodded, sniffling in a rather unladylike fashion. "Thanks mama."

Kagome sighed at the memory as she finished the last of the leftovers. She looked at Buyo, who was mewing at the kitchen door, begging her to let him outside.

"You silly fat cat Buyo. Get out of here, and don't get eaten." She commanded, opening the door slightly.

The night tonight was completely calm, not a cloud in the sky, but the Tokyo sky was starless and foreign. It had been three years since she'd seen more that three or four stars dotting the heavens.

She crept upstairs to throw herself into what would hopefully be a dreamless, thoughtless sleep.

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Her mother told her to go.

Her mother had lost her husband, Kagome remembered those times bitterly, and now, was sacrificing her daughter so that her daughter could be home again.

No matter how dearly Kagome loved her family, she was no longer a silly modern girl. "Go."

"Mama…" Kagome looked into her mother's dark eyes, finding large tears despite her mother's smile.

"You love him, Kagome. I know you can find him…You see yourself that the well is open. This is your chance."

Kagome stared at her mother, her heart felt frozen despite the way her blood was thundering against her ear drums.

"Mama! What about Souta, and grandpa, and the shrine- and everything, I can't just leave you forever!" she quickly hugged her mother. She couldn't leave them behind. This was her _family!_

"Kagome, this is your only chance. I will tell grandpa, and Souta. He is a strong boy, he will take care of us. You have proven yourself, Kagome, time and time again," and this time her mother's voice wavered as she drew back to meet her daughter's eyes,

"You are a good daughter, and are changing into a magnificent woman." She held her child one last time, tightly, "But you and InuYasha…please, Kagome. This is your happy ending."

Kagome nodded into her mother's shoulder, breathing in shakily, sniffling. "I can do this, mama. I just… I wish I didn't have to leave you guys."

Her mother smiled. "Be safe." She said, drawing back from the embrace, her hands falling down her daughter's arms. "Don't be afraid." They held each other's hands, and she squeezed Kagome's hands gently, reassuringly.

"Mama, thank you so much." She tried to smile, her heart felt light, but her stomach was flipping endlessly in fear. She was afraid to leave. She was almost petrified.

Her mother kissed her on her forehead, her lips lingering slightly. "Kagome, my beautiful Kagome. My baby girl. You have all my blessings."

She let go of her daughter's hand, and smiled, turning away, and walking back to the well shrine entrance. Kagome faced the well. She could feel its power emanating, waiting. It was now or never-

"Kagome!" her mom called out, and she turned around again, quickly. "I love you, sweetie."

"I love you too, mama! Tell Souta and grandpa I love them so much! And that I'm sorry I couldn't say goodbye!"

Her mother nodded, and Kagome turned around again, facing the edge of the well. She took in a deep breath, and in one abrupt movement, ran and leapt into its dark square opening, feeling the ancient magic envelop her once more.

-

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The kit snorted. "You're a toy, InuYasha."

InuYasha looked at Shippou evenly. The twins were perched on his shoulders, greatly entertained by his twitching ears. He liked the twins, and their giggles weren't _terrible_ sounds, exactly. But it was starting to get on his nerves.

"Houshi. Do something." He said gruffly. But as usual, Sango and Miroku brushed him off with their usual apologies.

InuYasha rolled his eyes before closing them. "No respect." He growled, and the twins giggled again in unison. "Doggy!!!" they both cooed, pulling on his white locks of hair.

The air was warm this afternoon. There were some new flowers scents in the air, and the smell of warming earth that was always nice. He breathed quietly, tuning out the giggles of Sango and Miroku's adorable yet obnoxious twin daughters.

Then, he couldn't quite explain it. His nose picked up a scent. It wasn't danger, as he first thought.

He felt oddly hollow again, as his heart dared wonder…His eyes snapped open.

He picked up both girls by their little yukatas, and placed them on Shippou, whose smug face immediately changed into a look of pure terror. "Go slay the kitsune, girls." He said evilly, before standing tall, nose high. He sniffed the air again.

His heartbeat, despite his doubts, was really going wild now. Without a word of explanation to the others, he bolted from Miroku and Sango's back yard and out of the village, past the rice fields and into the forest.

He ran like he hadn't had to run in years. The moment the well, covered in vines and cobwebs, appeared, did he skid to a stop in the bright little clearing. He waited, and suddenly, these half seconds were just too much, and almost prayed to the kami he was right.

There was only silence to answer his heart's calling, and then, a noise, like a thud, and he looked into the dark well, outstretching his hand. His eyes widened in shock. He quite simply had forgotten how to breathe.

She came back. The she was, climbing up the bone eater well, her blue eyes shining in the sudden sunlight, and from a few stray tears, he reached a little more, and she reached out as well.

He closed his rough hand around hers, relief flooding him. Her fingers were soft, her hand just as delicate as he remembered.

He pulled her up, refusing to let go of her hand, and her blue eyes were bright and her smile was soft and she was just as relieved as he felt. She hadn't quite expected him to be there, yet here he was, holding her hand in his still, his expression melting away the years of separation. She leaned unto his shoulder with her free hand, leaning onto him, slightly, standing on the edge of the well, she couldn't think of anything to say for a moment, and they both stared at each other in disbelief, hearts resonating with a one and same hope.

Her eyes were full of tears again and she looked at him, smiling, her lips and voice quivering ever so slightly. "InuYasha…I'm sorry…Where you waiting?"

He felt like he'd just fallen off the highest branch of the Sacred God Tree in his sleep. Her voice, her face, her eyes- she was older, but this was still his Kagome. Her voice was racked with tears, she must have been crying before he'd pulled her out of the well. He wasn't quite certain why she was crying, but her smile was true, and it reached her clear blue eyes.

"Kagome…" he pulled her into him, stepping back from the well, and she wrapped her arms around him tightly, holding on. She sniffled and sighed, her heart feeling at peace. His fingers tangled in her hair and pressed her shoulder into his chest. His golden eyes closed briefly as he buried his nose into her raven hair. "You idiot." He grumbled, repressing tears as well, because she'd come back. "What have you been up to?"

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"_I'll always be there for you, InuYasha."_ _She scooted over from her position by her bedside table, leaning against him slightly. She needed to feel his warmth. Her room was cold from the open window anyways, and her house was cold from its general vacancy._

_She heard no response, but a moment later felt his clawed fingers envelop hers, and she looked to her side, up into his eyes. He was almost kneeling next to her, their hands joined, and he looked at her seriously. She could feel her heart quicken its pace. "That's why I'll protect you with my life, Kagome."_

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"_Somehow…I want you by my side."_

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Kagome spent that first evening in Kaede's hut, eating bowled rice and Kaede's stew, and she found that for all the changes that had occurred, somehow, it didn't feel different. Sango had the most adorable children, still just babies, really, and Miroku adored his wife and his children. They were happy, truly, and it warmed Kagome's heart to finally see it. Shippou had grown, at least a tiny, tiny, tiny little bit (she really hadn't want to hurt his feelings on his static height in the past three years) but noticed he'd taken a lot more after InuYasha than probably either the kitsune or the hanyou had planned. Kaede looked a little older, a little happier, but was still her usual old busy self. Kagome heard everything- Miroku and InuYasha's wanderings, the way Sesshoumaru dropped Rin every now and then in the village, usually covering her in expensive presents to soften the separation.

Then, the hours passed and the night was dark and the fire dim, and though Kagome was frankly more energetic than she'd felt in years, Miroku and Sango were fulltime parents, and desperately needed rest. Kaede convinced Shippou to stay in the hut and leave Kagome and InuYasha alone. ("Keh. Like I need to be around when all the smooching starts." He'd retorted, but the hug he'd given Kagome and the way he told her he was so glad she was back reminded Kagome exactly of the old Shippou she knew and adored).

Finally, they all parted ways, and Kagome and InuYasha were standing outside Kaede's hut, and Sango and Miroku took their mini army of infants and left in one direction, and InuYasha looked at the raven haired girl behind him, wondering what to do. He'd thought a million times of her return, but never got this far in his dreams.

He noticed Kagome looking up at the sky, her dark hair billowing slightly in the cool nightly breeze.

"InuYasha, walk with me?" she asked him, looking back at him for a moment, and he nodded, stepping in her direction.

They began to walk, slowly, Kagome was reacquainting herlsef with every blade of grass, every hut in the village, every rustling of leaves, the sounds of crickets everywhere.

She walked past the rice fields, slightly ahead of him, heading for a little hill that overlooked the fading lights of Kaede's village, and she could see fireflies in the woods, just waiting to come out when the night truly set in.

She turned around abruptly on the little path they were following, and found herself extremely close to InuYasha, who must have gained a little on her without her noticing. Truth was, he'd been trying to sniff her hair without her noticing, but damn if he'd let the silly girl know that.

"I can't believe I'm back," she said, her voice a choking up a little, as they stood there in the open field, underneath millions of stars. None of her friends, no matter how well they meant, could understand her when Kagome told them to bugger off. Three years, if it had all been for this moment, nearly nose to nose with InuYasha in the dark, his smirk growing and his golden eyes shining like Buyo's did at night.

"Keh. Wake up Kagome. You're with me now." InuYasha grunted, but his smile didn't fade, and he was…Kagome squinted her eyes a little…

InuYasha was definitely blushing!

She suddenly threw her arms around her neck, and he caught her, a little startled.

"You never said goodbye, you baka." She said resentfully, but her breath was hot against his neck, and he knew she wasn't mad. He rolled his eyes, but held her close, one hand against the back of her head, buried in black hair. His heart felt strong, weak, elated, jumpy, he was going definitely going crazy. Kagome was back. In his arms.

"I… thought it was for the best. You were safe. My job was done… I…"

She nodded, she understood his reasoning. It wasn't the first time he'd left her in the future, for her safety.

"Remember how you told me, that somehow, you wanted me by your side? It was so long ago, the first time you barred my access from the past…"

He felt her tug away gently, and released his hold on her, and her eyes, filled with tears that reflected the fireflies and the starlight around them, were peering into his questioningly. "Do you still want me by your side?"

He pressed his forehead on her shoulder, a gesture she hadn't expected, he was leaning on her. Their hands were intertwined, and he brought her fingers close to his heart.

"Forever," he muttered, pressing her head against hers, and she leaned into him more, allowing his warmth and his words to reassure her.

"Well, then, InuYasha, I will always be at your side."

He raised his head slightly, and their noses touched.

"Which is why I will always be there to protect you, Kagome." And then, suddenly, the stars, the cold grass, the crickets, everything was gone. It was just her heartbeat and his, their fingers laced together, his breath fluttering on her face. His eyes, darkened, serious, she lost herself in them, the swirling auburn and gold of his irises hypnotizing her.

He kissed her.

He drew her in as much as he could, concealing her in his arms with the large sleeves of his haori. Their lips grazed, at times light and at others not, and almost once Kagome could actually _feel_ InuYasha's tongue, which startled her. This was real. Her eyelids opened just a tad, and she recognized his hands on her face, travelling into her hair, his nose, his eyes, his beautiful white hair. She knew InuYasha's face like the back of her hand, and now he was kissing her, quietly, strongly, hopefully, fearfully, and longingly…

They'd never been much for words, InuYasha and her. Somehow, this time, she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she had his heart, and her own heart couldn't contain this joy, and she broke into tears, kissing him even more fiercely.

"Kagome…Kagome! What…" he drew back slightly, his rough hands wiping away the large teardrops falling down her cheeks from the corner of her eyes. She looked up at him.

"InuYasha…thank you for waiting for me."

He rolled his eyes. "Tsk. You baka. Of course I waited, Kagome." She felt herself pressed into his chest, and heard him say in a strangled half-whisper right by her ear, "I'm so relieved you came back."

She closed her eyes, huddling against his warmth, shivering a little as a breeze came to cover her exposed legs to the wind.

Without a word, InuYasha took his red haori off his shoulders and draped it over Kagome's shoulders. She smiled up him.

"Mama told me to come back." She admitted, quietly, breathing deeply. "She told me I had no reason to stay away from my happy ending. She told me…that I had her blessing." His hands ran along her arms, his right finally on her chin, holding up her face to his. "I had a chance, the well opened up today. Mama told me not to be afraid of what was right."

She looked up into his glistening eyes, and InuYasha had no words that could possibly be adequate. He smiled, trying to calm his heart. Kagome and him were right. Hanyou and the miko from the future, together, Kagome thought this was the right choice.

"I miss them already, InuYasha. But my home is by your side." She told him, pressing a hand to his cheek. He leaned into her caress for a moment, before leaning forward and kissing her forehead.

"And you are my home, Kagome."

They spent the night lounged in that field, staring at stars and fireflies and at each other, Kagome wrapped in InuYasha's haori, his hands trailing in her hair and along her arms and fingers, and she giggled and talked, and talked about her life without him, and he teased her about the archery club and the silly things her grandfather made her do for the shrine, and she talked about her brother Souta and all the weird habits he'd picked up trying to emulate InuYasha.

She talked about the weird alienation she'd felt from her friends, especially after the Hojo-kun fiasco, which made the hanyou grin in delight.

Then he'd shared a few of his memories of those three years, Miroku and Sango's wedding, Shippouchan getting in trouble with several of the young village girls, Kaede bachaan always sending him to fetch some obscure herb he could never find…

Kagome knew, as he could sense the loneliness in her words before, she knew he'd been lonely as well.

"I can't believe I'm with you." She said, kissing the bottom of his chin gently. He snaked his arm around her and pulled her closer, his free hand reaching for her nearest hand, which she relinquished delighted.

They drifted in and out of sleep, millions of stars above them. Kagome's body was a pleasant weight at his side, her closed eyes and smiling lips engraved into his mind, her fingers delicately resting in his. She was starting to breathe evenly and InuYasha felt his own eyes grow heavy. He was exhausted after three years of tenacious waiting.

As he fell asleep, the last thing he saw and felt was Kagome sleeping at his side.

He was home.

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**Well. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Who knows. I'm just crazy. **

**Review, darlings. This little ficlet took a hell out of me. I'd like to know what you think?**

**Peace.**

**Ryuu**


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